The beginning of life can be so fragile.

Kittens are born helpless, hungry.

They can barely get around on their own.

Their eyes are sealed shut and their ears folded up.

Their brains aren’t developed enough to use those senses.

Instead, a kitten uses smell and touch to find its mother’s milk.

And it needs constant warmth to survive.

This is what it will look like in just a few weeks.

Frisky.

Independent.

But in the early days, cat moms are on the hook for a lot.

So why are their babies born so underdeveloped?

Well, cats have big litters.

This mama had seven.

Hunting with a big belly isn’t easy.

And growing that many babies takes a lot of energy.

So mom gives birth to them before they’re fully baked.

They’re what’s known as altricial.

That’s from the Latin root “to nourish.” Other baby animals are born with a head start.

Foals can stand up within an hour of being born.

They’re precocial.

They don’t need their moms as much.

So what about us?

Our ears and eyes are open, a sign our brains are further along than a kitten’s.

But we’re still pretty much just as helpless as they are.

We’re considered secondarily altricial.

Animal shelter manager: I know, I know.

OK, back to those kittens.

In the spring, cats start having babies -- lots of them.

Animal shelter manager: OK. “Kitten season” is a huge problem for animal shelters.

These two-week old kittens need to be hand-fed every few hours … day and night.

They can’t even pee on their own.

They need stimulation from their foster mom, to mimic the licking their cat mom would do.

All this work makes it hard to find volunteers to care for these newborns.

So animal shelters like this one have partnered with the University of California, Davis, to find ways to make it easier.

They’re trying to figure out if keeping the kittens extra warm and cozy -- like with this incubator -- might make it possible for caretakers to feed them less frequently.

It’s inspired by those mama cats, who do this tough job really well, nurturing their babies so they can take the time they need to wake up to the world.

Which kinda reminds me, maybe I should call my mom.

Hey, it’s Lauren.

We need you like this kitten needs its foster mom.

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